Sports Watch
Oh, there's a little unfinished business left. A matter of qualifying for make the 64-player field that begins match-play competition tomorrow at the Wailua Golf Course.
After shooting a par-72 yesterday, Yamamoto can be optimistic about his chances to keep playing - and shaking hands.
Yamamoto, you see, is the hometown boy who made good. And he would like nothing better than to win the national Publinx championship for the second timein three years - this time on his home course, before his home fans.
It was at Wailua, back in 1975 when it first hosted the tournament, that Yamamoto got the Publinx bug.
''It was my first caddy job,'' said Yamamooto. He was 13 years old then. Unfortunately, the guy he caddied for, never made the cut.
That was also pretty much Yamamoto's story as well when it came to the National Public Links tournament, ''America's blue-collar championship.''
Yamamoto, now 34, failed to get out of the sectional qualifying 11 times before he finally made it on his 12th try. And when he did, he won the whole thing.
That was in 1994 at Bigfork, Mont., where he beat Chris Riley, a UNLV sophomore, 1-up, in 37 holes - tying the record as the longest final match intournament history.
The victory gave Yamamoto the opportunity to play in the Masters the following spring. It also gave him a 10-year exemption from the local qualifying.
To play Augusta again - and earn a spot on the U.S. team for next year's Walker Cup in Scarsdale, N.Y. - are the goals driving Yamamoto's this week.
''It's the equivalent of making the Olympic team because you're representing your country,'' Yamamoto said.
For now, he's just trying his best to represent the Garden Island. And he's hoping a little home-cooking will help his game. He and his wife, Terry, are staying with his parents, Motomu and Michiko Yamamoto, this week.
He's also hoping that the visiting golfers in the 156-man field are enjoying Kauai's hospitality.
That especially includes the guy he beat in the 1994 final - Chris Riley, who graduated from UNLV last week.
Who knows? They might even meet again.
Riley, who plans to turn pro after competing next month in the U.S. Amateur, still remembers his match with Yamamoto. And the disappointment of not getting to go to the Masters.
''But I got to play in the Walker Cup in Wales,'' Riley said. ''At least I got one out of two.''
Riley was just one of a number of younger players Yamamoto ran into that year.
''Every time I showed up on the tee, there was a kid with a college bag playing me,'' Yamamoto said. ''I didn't feel that old. But everyone asked me how old I was and then they said, 'Wow,' when I told them.''
One of the 11 times he missed qualifying for the Publinx was in 1985 - when it was held here. But he went on to win the Manoa Cup that year.
''It was bittersweet. I wanted to be here, but I won the Manoa Cup.''
He pointed out that the same thing happened to this year's Manoa Cup champion, Damien Victorino, also a Kauai native.
''It's a good omen for Damien,'' Yamamoto said. ''And it's good that somebody from Kauai won it again.''
Besides Victorino and Yamamoto, who won the Manoa Cup in 1985 and 1992, others from Kauai who have won the Hawaii State Amateur Match Play Championship were Deron Doi, David Ishii and Art Fujita.
The Kauai connection is continuing in the Publinx this week.
Fujita's assisting USGA officials, Doi is caddying for Rainbow Open winner Clayton Gomi and, get this, Victorino is toting the bag for Pavao.
But drawing the most attention from the gallery is the Guy ... Yamamoto.